University of Science and Technology of China
TOPICAL ISSUES: Syllabus
Instructor: Tom Beales
Email: tom2015@ustc.edu.cn
Office: I-experience office 2, Floor 5, Student Centre, East Campus
Welcome
Hello and welcome to the class! This course has been built to improve your oral English
communication. By the end of this course you should be able to discuss a variety of
meaningful issues, justify your opinions and express your ideas with confidence.
Methods of Instruction
This course will use a range of teaching methods; group discussions, pair work, listening
tasks, communicative activities, debates, role-play and presentations. The focus is on
speaking and expressing yourselves in English in a meaningful way.
Course Requirements and Grading
•
This is an oral class, and you will be expected to use English to communicate at
all times.
•
You will be expected to participate willingly and be supportive of other students.
Please remember to bring a pen and some paper every week to take notes.
•
There is no formal exam at the end of term. However you will be assessed on
your performance during class. Therefore your participation, attendance and
homework assignments will all contribute towards your final assessment.
•
At the end of the course you will be assessed with either a P or F (pass or fail).
Contact
Have any questions? Need any help?
Please email me, or arrange a meeting in my office: tom2015@ustc.edu.cn
Online Materials
http://staff.ustc.edu.cn/~tom2015/
Class 1: Power of Personality
Class 9: Social Expectations
Describing personality and expressing opinions
Homework: worksheet and reading
Discussing social behavior and making small talk
Homework: speech presentation
Class 2: Global English
Class 10: In the News
Discussing the role of English and analyzing
situations
Homework: worksheet
Reporting events and organizing and presenting
topical information
Homework: sentence construction
Class 3: Urban Living
Class 11: Life Online
Describing cities and discussing advantages and
disadvantages
Homework: worksheet and written assignment
Class 4:What did I get myself into?
Identifying and describing problems and
discussing past experiences
Homework: speech presentation
Class 5: Can you believe it?
Using verbs of belief to accurately give opinions
Homework: worksheet
Analyzing the influence of the Internet and
online slang
Homework: worksheet
Class 12: Creative Solutions
Offering solutions to problems and discussing
creativity.
Homework: written assignment
Class 13: Moral Dilemmas
Explaining decisions and discussing hypothetical
situations
Homework: reading and worksheet
Class 6: Living Standards
Evaluating places and issues of quality
Homework: written assignment
Class 14: We’re not all like that
Class 7: Work-life Balance
Making generalizations and discussing
stereotypes
Homework: sentence construction
Describing routines and habits and giving advice
Homework: Written dialogue
Class 15: Culture Shock
Class 8: Early Birds and Night Owls
Discussing sleep patterns and describing
conditions
Homework: worksheet
Discussing cultural integration and multicultural
societies
Homework: Review course content
Class 16: Pub Quiz
Review of class content